Improvement in valve-tremolos for organs



J. H. HOLDEN. Valve-Tremolo for Organs.

Patented June H, 1878.

OmMw 60 naw, M W

N. PETERS. FHQTC-UTHOGRAFHER. WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES H. HOLDEN, OE BRATTLEBOROUGH, VERMONT, ASSIGNOR TO J. ESTEY &(10., OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN VALVE-TREMOLOS FOR ORGANS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 204,732, dated June 11,1878; application filed January 18, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMES H. HOLDEN, of Brattleborough, in the county ofWindham and State of Vermont, have invented certain Improvements inValve-Tremolos for Reed- Organs, of which the following is aspecification:

Heretofore in tremolos of this character the valve has been placed in ahorizontal position over the opening, and been counter-balanced by aweight. This construction is found to be objectionable because of adrumming sound that is produced by the valve when vibrated by thepassing current. To avoid this unpleasant eifect and render it muchpleasanter and more delicate, as well as to enable the tremolo etfect tobe produced instantaneously, without the intervention of the stop,through the medium of a knee-lever, is the object of my presentinvention, which I will now describe.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a sectional View taken through thevalve-chamber in the plane of the line as x in Fig. 2. Fig. 2 is a sideview.

A A is the wind-chest, divided by a partition, B, which serves toseparate that portion of the chest A into which the reeds G (which areunder the influence of the tremolo) open from the other part, A, intowhich the other reeds, D, open. E E are apertures, which connect thedivisions of the wind-chest with the bellows, the first of which iscontrolled by a valve, E, which stands normally open, but which may beclosed by suitable mechanism, which will be hereinafter set forth.

G is a valve-chamber, mounted upon the wind-chest over the partition B,and communicatin g with the sections A A by means of openings 11 a,respectively. This chamber is divided transversely by a partition, H,which stands, preferably, a little out of the vertical plane. Thispartition is provided with an aperture, b, and forms a seat for thetremolovalve I. This valve is hinged above, and is kept up to its seatby the action of gravity. It may be loaded with metal, if desired, to

insure its remaining closed. This, however, will depend on the angle atwhich the valve rests, which may be varied considerably from thevertical.

The operation is as follows: When the valve F is open, the current ofair from the reeds 0 passes through the opening E to the bellows, in thesame manner that the current from D passes through the opening E to thebellows; but when the valve F is closed over the aperture E, the currentfrom the reeds 0 must pass through the aperture a into the valve-chamberGr, thence through the opening b in the par tition H, and thence throughthe openings a and E to the bellows. This current causes the valve I tovibrate and produce a tremolo effect.

The mechanism for closing the valve F through the medium of a stop is ofthe usual kind, and consists of the tracker-pin c and linked levers d e.In addition to this, however, I provide a suitable mechanism whereby thetremolo effect may be produced during the sounding of a single noteonly, or for any desired length of time, without drawing the stop, thesame consisting of a bell-crank lever, J, mounted on the wind-chest, thehorizontal arm of which rests upon the lever e, and the vertical arm islinked to a rod, f, which, in turn, connects, through an oscillatingcranked rod, g, with a rod, h, provided with a knee-lever. Thus, whenthe rod h is moved with the knee, the arm of the lever J is caused topress down and close the valve F.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a valve-tremolo forreed-organs, the valve 1, arranged with the plane of its seat vertical,or nearly so, hinged so as to closeby its own weight, and free to bcvibrated by a passing current, substantially as set forth.

2. In a tremolo for reed-organs, the combination of the chamber G,having two apertures, a a, beneath it, opening into the wind chest, theperforated partition H between the apertures a a, and set at an anglewith the cover of the chest, and the valve I, hinged so as to cover theaperture in the Partition, substantially as and for the purposesspecified.

3. The combination, with the valve I, ar-

ranged as shown, of the valve F, tracker-pin: a, lever J, and rods f gh, whereby the valve, F may be closed with the knee and the valve I becaused to vibrate, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name in the presence of twosubscriblng witnesses.

JAMES H. HOLDEN.

Witnesses:

W. H. 011mm, W. J. UNDERWoon.

